1978 Topps #281 Eric Rasmussen
About Eric Rasmussen
The 1977 season behind card #281 brought career highs of 120 strikeouts, 233 innings and 11 complete games. Despite a 3.48 ERA he went 11-17 for third-place St. Louis. A two-RBI game that year came against reigning Cy Young winner Randy Jones.
Eric Rasmussen was a right-handed pitcher who worked in the majors from 1975 to 1983 for the St. Louis Cardinals, San Diego Padres and Kansas City Royals. Born Harold Ralph Rasmussen and known as Harry, he legally changed his name to Eric in the 1976-77 offseason. A fourth-round Red Sox pick in 1971 who chose the University of New Orleans instead, he was taken by the Cardinals in the 32nd round in 1973. He finished 50-77 with a 3.85 ERA, and his 14 wins in 1978 split between St. Louis and San Diego were his career high. After the Padres released him he pitched in the Mexican League for Yucatan and returned to the Cardinals in 1982. In 1983 he threw a shutout in his first start for Kansas City, making him the only pitcher to shut out a team in both his National League and American League debuts. He then coached for decades, with Cleveland's minor league system from 1988 and the Minnesota Twins organization from 1991, becoming minor league pitching coordinator after 2008.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 191 | 43 | 100 | 39 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| SGC | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Graded population — a scarcity guide, not a price. Data as of 2026-10-19. Half grades fold down for both graders (8.5→8); PSA qualified slabs (OC, ST, PD, MC and the like) are not counted.
Find this card
Search T206 Cards Shop 1978 Topps cards Live auctions Buy It Now on eBay Sold prices
As an eBay Partner Network affiliate, T206Cards.com may earn from qualifying purchases.
Related cards
Team card: #479 St. Louis Cardinals Team
More St. Louis Cardinals cards:
- #1 Lou Brock
- #32 Garry Templeton
- #58 Bob Forsch
- #88 Mike Phillips
- #111 Mike Tyson
- #143 Keith Hernandez
- #170 Lou Brock
- #195 Larry Dierker
- #230 Al Hrabosky
- #257 Hector Cruz
- #301 Buddy Schultz
- #324 Vern Rapp
- #352 Tony Scott
- #380 Ted Simmons
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1978 Topps #281 card?
It is card #281 of the 726-card 1978 Topps Baseball set, picturing Eric Rasmussen of the St. Louis Cardinals.
How many cards are in the 1978 Topps Baseball set?
726 cards, numbered 1 through 726 with none skipped and issued as a single series, and 728 collectible states: #23 Bump Wills comes with or without a black circle, and #374 Jose Morales with or without black stitching over the red laces, so the master set counts both states of each.
Sources: Trading Card Database, PSA CardFacts, BaseballCardPedia, Cardboard Connection, Baseball Almanac, Baseball-Reference, the SABR BioProject and the National Baseball Hall of Fame, PSA & SGC population reports. Card data compiled and maintained by T206Cards.com. Page last updated 2026-10-25.